ABC Unveils 2017/18 Primetime Plans

Channing Dungey, president, ABC Entertainment, unveiled the network’s new lineup this afternoon at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall in New York City.

“I’m very proud of this year’s slate of series at ABC,” said Dungey. We’ve focused on some of the universal themes that unite us – exciting stories, relevant dramas, and of course, lots of laughs. Our goal is to focus on the unique points of view of our show creators, but make shows that have broad appeal”

New series for Fall 2017/18 include Alex, Inc., The Crossing, Deception, For The People, The Good Doctor, The Gospel of Kevin, The Mayor and Splitting Up Together.

Returning shows include America’s Funniest Home Videos, American Housewife, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, black-ish, Dancing with the Stars, Designated Survivor, Fresh Off the Boat, The Goldbergs, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Modern Family, Once Upon a Time, Quantico, Shark Tank, Speechless,To Tell the Truth, American Idol, Marvel’s Inhumans, The Middle, Ten Days in the Valley, the current #TGIT lineup (How to Get Away with Murder, the final season of Scandal, and Grey’s Anatomy) along with a new Grey’s Anatomy spin-off.

SUNDAY: 7:00 p.m. “America’s Funniest Home Videos”
8:00 p.m. “To Tell the Truth” (new day and time period)
9:00 p.m. “Shark Tank” (new day and time period)
10:00 p.m. “Ten Days in the Valley”

DRAMAS

THE CROSSING

Refugees from a war-torn country seek asylum in a small American fishing town, only the country these people are from is America – and the war they are fleeing hasn’t happened yet. As the government tries to uncover the truth behind this mysterious migration only one thing is certain: The lives of the people here — both the townspeople and these newcomers — will never be the same.

Writers Dan Dworkin & Jay Beattie executive produce with Jason Reed.

The Crossing stars Steve Zahn as Jude Miller, Natalie Martinez as Reece, Sandrine Holt as Emma Ren, Rick Gomez as Nestor, Jay Karnes as Craig Lindauer, Marcuis Harris as Caleb, Simone Kessel as Rebecca, Kelley Missal as Hannah, Rob Campbell as Paul, Grant Harvey as Roy, Bailey Skodje as Leah, Jon D’Leo as Will, Luc Roderique as Bryce and Tommy Bastow as Marshall.
The pilot is directed by Rob Bowman. The series is from ABC Studios.

DECEPTION

When his career is ruined by scandal, superstar magician Cameron Black has only one place to turn to practice his art of deception, influence and illusion — the FBI. Using every trick in the book and inventing new ones, he will help the government catch the world’s most elusive criminals while staging the biggest illusions of his career.

The series is from writer/executive producer Chris Fedak (Chuck) and executive producers Greg Berlanti, Martin Gero and Sarah Schechter. Illusionist David Kwong (Now You See Me) will co-produce.

The series is from Berlanti Productions and Quinn’s House in association with Warner Bros. Television. Deception is directed by David Nutter, who is also executive producer.

UNTITLED GREY’S ANATOMY SPIN-OFF

This new straight-to-series drama will launch from an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. The as yet untitled Shonda Rhimes project will focus on the lives of firefighters who risk their lives in the line of duty.

“No one can interweave the jeopardy firefighters face in the line of duty with the drama in their personal lives quite like Shonda, and Grey’s signature Seattle setting is the perfect backdrop for this exciting spinoff,” said ABC chief Channing Dungey.

Stacy McKee (Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder) will both write the script and executive produce with Rhimes and Betsy Beers.

FOR THE PEOPLE

Set in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, aka “The Mother Court,” this new Shondaland drama follows brand-new lawyers working for both the defense and the prosecution handling the most high-profile and high-stakes federal cases in the country – all as their lives intersect in and out of the courtroom. The series is created by Shondaland’s Paul William Davies and is executive produced by Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers.

Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore, Bates Motel), a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome, relocates from a quiet country life to join a prestigious hospital’s surgical unit. Alone in the world and unable to personally connect with those around him, Shaun uses his extraordinary medical gifts to save lives and challenge the skepticism of his colleagues.

The series is from David Shore (House), and Lost and Hawaii Five-Ostar Daniel Dae Kim.

The series is from Sony Pictures Television and ABC Studios. David Shore is writer and executive producer.

Daniel Dae Kim, David Kim and Sebastian Lee are also executive producers.

Seth Gordon directed the pilot and is also an executive producer.

THE GOSPEL OF KEVIN

Kevin Finn (Jason Ritter, Parenthood), a cluelessly self-serving person, is on a dangerous path to despair. In a downward spiral, Kevin returns home to stay with his widowed twin sister (JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Once Upon a Time) and niece. On his first night there, an unlikely celestial being named Yvette appears to him and presents him with a mission – to save the world. A light drama from executive producers Michele Fazekas & Tara Butters (Marvel’s Agent Carter, Resurrection, Reaper).

The Gospel of Kevin stars Jason Ritter as Kevin Finn, JoAnna Garcia Swisher as Amy, J. August Richards as Nate, Chloe East as Reese, Dustin Ybarra as Tyler and India de Beaufort as Kristin.

The pilot is directed by Paul McGuigan. The series is from ABC Studios.

MARVEL’S INHUMANS

Marvel’s Inhumans explores the never-before-told epic adventure of the royal family including Black Bolt, the enigmatic, commanding King of the Inhumans, with a voice so powerful that the slightest whisper can destroy a city. After the Royal Family of Inhumans is splintered by a military coup, they barely escape to Hawaii where their surprising interactions with the lush world and humanity around them may prove to not only save them, but Earth itself. The legendary comic book series will be brought to life in a way that has never been done before, as a version of the first two episodes will be shown globally in IMAX theaters for a two-week period beginning September 1, 2017. ABC will then air the entirety of the series on the network, with additional exclusive content that can only been seen on ABC.

Marvel’s Inhumans stars Anson Mount as Black Bolt, Iwan Rheon as Maximus, Serinda Swan as Medusa, Eme Ikwuakor as Gorgon, Isabelle Cornish as Crystal, Ken Leung as Karnak, Ellen Woglom as an undisclosed character, Sonya Balmores as Auran and Mike Moh as Triton.
The series is executive produced by Scott Buck, along with Marvel’s Jeph Loeb and Jim Chory with Buck serving as showrunner. Roel Reiné will direct the first two episodes.

This series is a Marvel and IMAX project and is co-produced by Marvel Television and ABC Studios.

TEN DAYS IN THE VALLEY

Ten Days in the Valley stars Kyra Sedgwick as Jane Sadler, an overworked television producer and single mother in the middle of a separation whose life is turned upside down when her young daughter goes missing in the middle of the night. Just like her controversial police TV show, everything is a mystery, everyone has a secret and no one can be trusted.

Ten Days in the Valley stars Kyra Sedgwick as Jane Sadler, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as John Bird, Kick Gurry as Pete Greene, Erika Christensen as Ali Petrovich, Felix Solis as David Gomez, Josh Randall as Tom Petrovich, Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Matt Abigail Pniowsky as Lake and Francois Battiste as Gus.

Ten Days in the Valley is from Skydance Television. It is created and written by Tassie Cameron. Executive producers are Tassie Cameron, Kyra Sedgwick, Jill Littman, Dana Goldberg, David Ellison and Marcy Ross.

Sarah Chalke, who played the character Becky in later seasons, will also appear in another role.“The Conners’ joys and struggles are as relevant – and hilarious – today as they were then, and there’s really no one better to comment on our modern America than Roseanne,” said Dungey.

When it premiered on ABC, the series broke new ground for its realistic portrayal of a working-class family, the Conners, barely scraping by in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois. It also dominated the ratings as one of the highest-rated television series on the air for its near-decade run. A comedy about ordinary people who faced day-to-day survival with a sense of the absurdity of it all, the inimitable Roseanne was its epicenter. Lauded for its humor, relevance, warmth and honesty, the Conner family will continue to deal with the economic challenges of living pay check to pay check in 2018. In its nine seasons on ABC, in addition to being a primetime ratings hit, the series won a Peabody Award and a Golden Globe Award for best television series (comedy or musical). Barr and Goodman each won Golden Globes for best performance by an actress and actor. Barr went on to win an Emmy as lead actress, and Metcalf won two supporting actress Emmys for her work on the series.

Roseanne Barr will executive produce, along with Sara Gilbert, Tom Werner, Bruce Helford, Whitney Cummings and Tony Hernandez. The series is from Carsey-Werner Television.

ALEX, INC.

Based on the podcast StartUp, Alex Schuman (Zach Braff, Scrubs) is a brilliant radio journalist, husband and father of two who is about to do something crazy – quit his job and start his own company. He quickly discovers it’s going to be a lot harder than he thought.

Matt Tarses is writer and executive producer. Zach Braff is director and executive producer. John Davis and John Fox are executive producers of the series, from Davis Entertainment, as are Alex Blumberg, Chris Gilberti and Matt Lieber (Gimlet Media) in association with Sony Pictures Television and ABC Studios.

THE MAYOR

Young rapper Courtney Rose (Brandon Micheal Hall) needs his big break. For years he’s toiled away in a small inner-city apartment, making music in his junk-filled bedroom closet. Tired of waiting for opportunity, Courtney cooks up the publicity stunt of the century – running for mayor of his hometown in California to generate buzz for his music career. Unfortunately for Courtney, his master plan goes wildly awry, ending in the most terrifying of outcomes: an election victory. With the help of his mother (Yvette Nicole Brown, Community) and friends, including Valentina (Glee’s Lea Michele), Courtney will have to overcome his hubris if he wants to transform the struggling city he loves.

The series stars Brandon Micheal Hall as Courtney Rose, Lea Michele as Valentina, Bernard David Jones as Jermaine Hardaway, Marcel Spears as TK and Yvette Nicole Brown as Dina.

The pilot is directed by executive producer James Griffiths (“black-ish”).

SPLITTING UP TOGETHER

Based on the Danish series, Splitting Up Together is the story of a couple (Jenna Fischer, The Office, Oliver Hudson, Scream Queens) whose marriage is reignited by their divorce. Emily Kapnek (Suburgatory) writes and serves as executive producer of this new comedy, along with Ellen DeGeneres.

The series stars Jenna Fischer as Lena, Oliver Hudson as Martin, Bobby Lee as Arthur, Diane Farr as Maya, Lindsay Price as Camille, Olivia Keville as Mae, Van Crosby as Mason and Sander Thomas as Milo.

Jeff Kleeman, Mette Heeno, Mie Andreasen and Hella Joof are also executive producers of Splitting Up Together, which is based on the original series created by Heeno. It is produced by A Very Good Production and Piece of Pie Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Dean Holland directed the pilot.

SPECIALS

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY: THE LITTLE MERMAID LIVE!

In a two-hour special event, ABC will take the iconic The Little Mermaid animated feature film and intertwine it with show stopping LIVE musical performances via cutting-edge technology for an explosive evening honoring one of Walt Disney’s most celebrated classics. Fans of The Little Mermaid and Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s Oscar-winning songs will enjoy this never-before-seen live action/animation hybrid television experience featuring a soon-to-be announced roster of some of their favorite celebrity artists, whose performances will weave seamlessly throughout the original animated film.

The Wonderful World of Disney: The Little Mermaid Live! is set to premiere on Tuesday, October 3.

The special is produced by Done + Dusted with Hamish Hamilton, Ian Stewart, David Jammy, Katy Mullan, and Richard Kraft, of Kraft-Engel Productions, serving as executive producers.ROLLING STONE 50

For half a century, Rolling Stone has remained an iconic and important voice in American music, culture and politics. Now, the people who have told their stories through the Rolling Stone lens are coming together to reflect on the last 50 years. Rolling Stone 50 will pay homage to the brand’s influence and impact through a curated journey of its most seminal moments. Live from New York City, the three-hour special television event, set to debut Wednesday, February 7, 2018, will showcase live performances, short films, iconic on-stage moments, never-before-seen musical pairings, and celebrities that have shaped pop culture, music and politics.

The special is a production of Done + Dusted and Wenner Media. Jann Wenner and Gus Wenner of Wenner Media and Ian Stewart, David Jammy and Katy Mullan of Done + Dusted serve as executive producers.